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"Captain's log, stardate 43903.7. The Enterprise has been in attendance at the biennial trade agreements conference on Betazed. For the first time, the Ferengi are present, and I have reluctantly consented to their boarding the Enterprise for the closing reception."

Meanwhile, Lwaxana Troi tries once again to assist in Deanna Troi's love life. However, it is she who is "found exotic" by DaiMonTog. When he attempts to proclaim his affections to her, as well as being interested in her Betazoidtelepathy, she very loudly spurns him, humiliating him in front of the entire reception. He does not give up, however, finding her "exhilarating."

Later when Deanna and Riker are visiting on Betazed, they revisit a place the visited often when Riker was stationed on Betazed and when they almost kiss, Lwaxana interrupts. Deanna asks how she knew about this place and Lwaxana tells her that her father used to bring her there. Lwaxana has Mr. Homn lay out a picnic, and just after he leaves to pick some berries, DaiMon Tog beams down and attempts to persuade Lwaxana again, but is forced to kidnap all three of them by beaming them back to his ship and knocking them unconscious.

When the three of them awaken, they are far away from their previous position, out of range of Riker's combadge, in a prison cell. When their consciousness state is noticed, Tog transports Deanna and Lwaxana to a new compartment – without their clothes. After looking them over, he returns Deanna to the cell, and attempts to seduce Lwaxana. She plays along, believing she can control him.

Commander Riker attempts to play the alien chess game with the Ferengi guarding their cell, and uses that to talk his way out of the cell. He soon defeats the Ferengi, knocking him out shortly thereafter. He tries to communicate with the Enterprise. Unfortunately, the communications array requires Tog's access code. So, Lwaxana attempts to get the code from Tog.

Back on the Enterprise, Picard learns that Riker, Deanna, and Lwaxana have disappeared.

When Lwaxana asks for Tog's access code, Farek stops him just in time from breaching ship's security. With the blackmail of being reported, the doctor persuades Tog to let him use mind probes on her so as to duplicate her telepathic powers. This could kill her, but Tog reluctantly agrees.

When Farek is about to begin the neural scan, Riker looks for a minor subsystem, something not protected by the codes, and selects warp field phase adjustment. He then sends out a signal by dampening and un-dampening the subspace interference suppressor. He uses it to send a message he thinks the Enterprise will understand.

Meanwhile, Wesley is nearly late for his rendezvous with the USS Bradbury to go to the Academy. He barely has time to hear a scan for Ferengi signals – which are encoded – before rushing off to the transporter pad. He is about to transport when he realizes that a noise he heard in the background the was familiar. He rushes back to the captain and informs him of his discovery – but misses his rendezvous with the ship. However, the pattern he heard is the Algolian ceremonial rhythms that the musician played at the reception. It was Riker's signal. Picard quickly plots a course toward the source.

Riker, on the ship, manages to stop the experiment, but not hold off Tog as well. Lwaxana then negotiates an agreement: Riker and Deanna are let go, but Lwaxana will stay with him of her own free will.

Once the two of them are safely aboard the Enterprise, Deanna protests her mother's actions. Picard hails the Ferengi ship, and Lwaxana makes it clear that "it's over between us, Jean-Luc". It is a hint that Lwaxana wants him to fight for her. Picard recites one of Shakespeare's sonnets he acts with an insane jealous rage, threatening to destroy the Ferengi ship. He begins to count down to the time when he will destroy them, continuing to recite Shakespeare between each number. When two seconds remain, Tog relents and beams her to the Enterprisebridge.

The senior staff welcomes newly-commissioned Ensign Crusher to their midst

Lwaxana attempts to continue with the charade but Picard wants nothing to do with it. He orders Wesley to set a course for Betazed – at warp nine.

Captain Picard tells Wesley about how he and the commandant of Starfleet Academy are sorry that he missed the transport but hope he will reapply. Wesley states that he fully intends to. However Picard says that in his eyes, Wesley is an actingensign in title only and then decides to grant Wesley a field promotion to a full ensign. Wesley changes into his new uniform, takes his position at the conn, and the Enterprise sets off toward their rendezvous with the USS Zapata.

"My love is a fever, longing still for that which longer nurseth the disease, in faith I do not love thee with mine eyes for they in thee a thousand error see; but tis my heart, that loves what they despise, who in despite of view, are pleased to dote, shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

"The Academy's loss is our gain. The Enterprise will continue to benefit from your talents for another year... In my eyes, you are an acting ensign in title only. I hereby grant you a field promotion to full ensign with all the commensurate responsibilities and privileges of that rank."

"Now look, Demon Tog, or whatever you call yourself, I am the daughter of the Fifth House, holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed, and unless you want to start an interstellar incident, you had better beam back to your ship!"

Reittan Grax refers to Betzoids as Betazeds in the episode's opening scene.

The beginning of DaiMonTog's security code was stated as "Kei-ee Yuri Dah-teh-ee" before being interrupted by his medical officer. This is one of the many references to the Japanese anime Dirty Pair in TNG. The main characters of Dirty Pair are named Kei and Yuri.

After his character's promotion on the show, Gene Roddenberry gave Wil Wheaton the second lieutenant bars he earned in the Army Air Corps (second lieutenant being equivalent to an ensign in the US Navy). Present at the ceremony was General Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who later became Secretary of State. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)

In the background/special features section of the Star Trek: The Next Generation DVD set, actor Wil Wheaton stated that he had received Roddenberry's "gold ensign bars" from World War II; however, since Roddenberry's service was in the Army Air Corps, and not the Navy, Wheaton was in fact presented with the insignia from the wrong branch of service.

Despite previous instances where Troi indicates that she is able to empathically sense Ferengi, (TNG: „The Last Outpost”, „The Battle”) this episode establishes that Betazoids cannot read Ferengi. This inability is later referenced in TNG: „The Loss” and DS9: „The Forsaken”.

The title of this episode is a play on the French term, Ménage à trois meaning "household (or party) of three", often in reference to sexual acts between three people.

This is the first episode in which Betazed itself is shown on screen. TNG: „Dark Page” also shows the Troi home on Betazed, but only in flashback, making its appearance here the only "real" depiction in Trek lore.